Chinese diplomacy: Inside Beijing's restaurant that serves foreign dignitaries

In the world of Chinese diplomacy, the sharpest tool is sometimes a chef’s knife.

For Chef Luo Chenglin, 31, executive chef of the Yangzhou Banquet restaurant in Beijing, cooking for dignitaries is about more than the food. It is, he says, a chance to put China's soft power on a plate.

Luo, 31, executive chef of the Yangzhou Banquet restaurant in Beijing, has cooked for diplomatic guests from Japan and Australia. Chefs who were part of the team that worked on the 2017 state dinner China’s President Xi Jinping hosted for Donald Trump are among his former colleagues.

For those state banquets, he says, what gets put on a plate “allows us to showcase China's large country's abundant resources and the finest ingredients our country has to offer."

"Huaiyang cuisine is where we demonstrate our craft. Every bone, every fin, every spine is removed, so that standing before our foreign guests, we embody the craft of 'eating fish without encountering a single bone.' What goes into their mouth has absolutely no bones at all. That is the kind of skill Huaiyang cuisine has," he added.

Luo, who began cooking at 17, is a master of Huaiyang cuisine, known for its mild flavours, refined knife-work and seasonal ingredients, has long been a staple of Chinese state banquets. It avoids strong spices and instead emphasises balance, seasonality and technique, making it accessible to a wide range of international palates.

Since 1949, when the People’s Republic of China was established, Huaiyang cuisine has been the go-to for state dinners.

For Thursday’s (May 14) state dinner during Trump's latest visit, menu planners took a different path, including Beijing roast duck, China's national dish, and beef ribs, in an apparent nod to Trump's preference for a well-done steak.

But Luo sees the food he prepares as rooted in the same traditions that Xi showcased when he took Trump to visit the Temple of Heaven.

On Thursday, Xi took Trump to tour Beijing’s six-century-old Temple of Heaven, where he made a point of explaining how the massive hall was built without any nails, a feat of craftsmanship and perfect fit.

Luo said the culinary tradition his food carries on is like that architecture.

“Just like our dishes, it is a combination of all kinds of colours, making it more luxurious and beautiful," he told Reuters.

-Production: Xiaoyu Yin/Reuters